Helio Castroneves Determined To Win His 1st IndyCar Series Championship

Brazilian race car driver and former ‘Dancing With the Stars’ winner Helio Castroneves is in the home stretch of the IndyCar Series championship, and he has every intention of taking home the Astor Cup after the final race on Oct. 19!

Helio Castroneves is used to taking home trophies — he has won the Indy 500 three times and he even nabbed the Dancing With the Stars Mirror Ball trophy during season five — but in his 16 years of competing, he has never won an IndyCar championship. Well, Helio is convinced that this is his year — and he’s got the points to prove it! Read on for more details.

While Helio was leading the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship for the majority of the season, he lost his lead last week in Houston, Texas and is entering the final race of the series as the underdog (25 points behind title rival Scott Dixon).

After coming into the Grand Prix of Houston with a 49-point lead over Scott, Helio had a stroke of bad luck with two consecutive mechanical failures on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, according to the Associated Press.

“It’s frustrating and disappointing,” Helio said at the time. “It hurts. It really hurts.”

Despite this setback, Helio was back on the track in no time, and more determined than ever to win the title on Oct. 19!

Will Power: IndyCar Series Championship Will ‘Come Down To The Wire’

It all comes down to the MAVTV 500, the 250-lap final race that will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Luckily, it’s familiar territory for Helio, who came in the fastest during an open test there last week. Despite Scott’s lead, Helio’s teammate Will Power says the race will still “come down to the wire.”

“Going into Fontana, it’s all about Helio winning a championship, so whatever I can do,” Will says. “If Helio needs to win the race and I need to be somewhere in between him and Dixon, then that’s what we’re aiming for.”

It’s so great that Helio will have the support of his teammates on his big day. We’re rooting for you, Helio!

How about YOU, HollywoodLifers? Are you hoping Helio will win the championship? Let us know!

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